Tesco UK will trial giving away soon-to-be expired food at the end of the day for free in an effort to fight food waste.
Elevating from its discount “yellow sticker” system – which sees items available for extremely reduced prices if they are due to expire – the trial will see unsold items offered for free after 9.30pm.
Tesco will first offer the food to staff and local charities, before offering the remaining food to customers free of charge.
The trial will start in some of the retailer’s smaller Express stores in the coming months.
Despite Tesco’s extensive Irish footprint, there are currently “no plans” to extend the scheme to Ireland, according to The Journal.
A spokesperson for Tesco UK said the supermarket is “constantly looking for innovative new ways to reduce food waste.”
The spokesperson said, “The trial, in a small number of our express stores, will allow customers to take any remaining yellow-stickered items for free at the end of the day, after they have first been offered to charities and colleagues.”
Tesco has plans to become carbo neutral across its operations by 2035 and across its entire chain by 2050.
Britain’s largest supermarket chain by market share works closely with food surplus charities FoodCloud and Olio to redistribute food to charities, simultaneously combatting the problems of food waste and food scarcity.
Read More: Aldi Ireland Survey Finds Food Waste Costs Irish Consumers €832 Annually
